Wireless communication systems have become ubiquitous in the world today, such as, for example, cellular mobile telephony, point-to-point microwave systems, satellite communication systems, and so on. Within each of these systems, and particularly due to the co-existence of such systems, challenges are presented when it comes to managing communication in a manner that prevents or at least minimizes interference. Common methods of interference minimization and/or avoidance may include use of different frequency bands, different polarizations, multiplexing techniques, geographical separation, etc. These methods typically work well for networks having fixed transmitters and receivers. When receivers or transmitters are allowed to move, however, the occurrence of interference may be greater, and performance may degrade.
For example, certain wireless communication frequencies (e.g., C-band communications) can only communication when there is a clear line-of-sight (LOS) between transmitter and receiver. Accordingly, interference of a C-band transmitter with a C-band receiver is possible only if there is a clear line-of-sight from the transmitter to the receiver. As such, if the transmitter roams, it may move from a point at which no interference was possible to one in which it becomes a potential interferer with the receiver. Other factors involved in determining whether a transmitter, in general, interferes significantly with a received signal, in addition to overlapping communication bands/channels, may further include transmit power, receive antenna type/gain, polarizations, distance from the transmitter to the receiver, and so on.
In certain environments, radio signal interference may be nothing more than a slight nuisance, while in other environments, the interference may be more problematic to the communication network, such as reduced bandwidth, lost (e.g., and repeated) messages, and so on. In still other environments, however, such interference may not only be particularly detrimental (e.g., introducing noise to received voice communication or partial/complete loss of picture for TV communication), but it may also be strictly prohibited by communication regulations, perhaps even being criminally offensive. Regardless of the environment, it is thus beneficial to ensure adequate interference mitigation, and in some instances absolute interference avoidance.